Niu, SM Aura Premier — Restaurant in Taguig

Based on your experience, here is a detailed review of your birthday celebration at Niu by Vikings in SM Aura.

Review: Niu by Vikings SM Aura My recent birthday celebration at Niu by Vikings at SM Aura was a mix of highs and lows, ultimately resulting in a good but not great experience. While the overall meal and atmosphere were wonderful, the initial arrival and check-in process left a sour first impression that we could not shake.

Timeliness & Initial Service The start of our visit was a bit disorganized. As a pregnant woman celebrating my birthday, I was looking forward to a smooth and comfortable check-in, especially since we had a reservation. The reception area was crowded and there were two separate queues, with no clear signs indicating which was for reservations or priority access. I approached two staff members for guidance, and they simply pointed to the queues without a word, which was not the welcoming experience I had hoped for. After choosing a queue and waiting patiently, my turn was unpleasantly interrupted by another group cutting in front of me, and they were served first by the multiple staff members in the reception area. This lack of crowd management and courtesy was a frustrating start and a significant con to our overall experience.

Atmosphere & Ambiance Once we were finally seated, the rest of the night was a vast improvement. The ambiance of the restaurant is fantastic. The decor is elegant and sophisticated, creating a pleasant and luxurious dining environment that feels perfect for a special occasion. The wide, open space and well-lit areas made our celebration feel truly special.

Food Quality The food at Niu by Vikings is definitely the highlight. The variety and quality of the buffet are impressive. We particularly enjoyed the crispy lechon, tender pork ribs, and the unique puto bumbong. The selection of drinks, including the wine and amaretto, was also excellent. For dessert lovers, the array of sweets was a perfect ending to the meal. Every dish we tried was delicious and well-prepared.

Service While our initial encounter with the staff was disappointing, the service once we were seated was outstanding. A special shout-out to Jemil, who provided kind and attentive assistance throughout our meal.

Final Thoughts Niu by Vikings offers a premium buffet experience with high-quality food and a beautiful atmosphere. The delicious dishes and wonderful service from staff like Jemil made our birthday celebration memorable. However, the chaotic and unwelcoming reception area at the start of our visit was a major downside. Because of this, despite the great food and ambiance, we may not return in the future. It was a good experience, but not quite good enough to overcome the initial...

FOOD: Celebrated Valentine’s day here ❤️ The food was pretty good. I ate A LOT of salmon sashimi, duck, lamb (10/10), paella, angus beef, jelly & my partner had the same plus shepherd’s pie and more. We also went for the cheeses, crostinis breads, and other apéro. Not to forget the desserts! They had mini cheesecakes, pavlova, créme brûlées, macarons, and so much more. For Valentine’s day, they gave us free cake and strawberry martini. The cake was honestly good, not overly sweet. They had a puto bumbong station which was awesome bc I get to eat that only during the winter holidays!

My other comments: maybe they can put a salt and pepper shaker for each table? I don’t know if they had, maybe I didn’t see shakers at the buffet area but if not, I recommend they add that. I saw they had canele in the desserts area but it was burnt huhu. I was a bit confused with the gyoza flavor hmm but maybe bc I have my own japanese recipe. Also no selection of wine, I feel like they should have a mini menu of what we can choose from. Honestly the food is 9/10 depending on the amount of hits and misses. More hits than misses ofc. Mostly a hit!

AMBIANCE: The ambiance was good I’ll give it an 8/10 There was a piano in there and some good music. For this occasion they had someone play some old 70s songs which is mellow and relaxed. The interior is nice, cozy, warm and lights aren’t too bright and overwhelming, I had fun chatting and laughing with my partner the whole time. Everything is great. except the occasional yell from a staff member when calling out about something, it’s pretty loud there so I understand but still doing that kinda makes the place a bit less classy.

SERVICE: The service is good. We didn’t wait long before we got seated (probably because we booked ahead) the staff was very welcoming and accommodating. One of them was informing us about what we can get and even offered drinks like wine. They took note of who celebrated birthdays and which tables had couples so that they can all cater to each of the tables. Very organized.

Overall 9/10. I want to come back and try everything else I didn’t next time and I’d recommend this buffet to family...

Niu used to be our place to go to celebrate life events and gatherings. Last May, it was a good experience when we celebrated my dad's birthday. But just today, for my mom's birthday and it was so disappointing. When we are trying to get the sticker bracelet (we have a reservation) one of the male staff was talking to his colleague and making fun of my PWD companion. When I called his attention, he just walked out. No acknowledgment. A female staff asked if there's any birthday celebrants. We were asked for the id and she left. Expecting for the birthday cake, we waited patiently. After all cakes were distributed and we are done with our meal, we had to ask 4 staff who passed by to follow up. When we asked for another rep to check if there's a cake for my mom (by the way, this birthday lunch was a surprise for my senior mom. Staff intentionally move their heads away from our table. When we called the one sweeping the floor, thats the only time someone approached us. The same female staff who asked for the id! She then mentioned, that she only get id and she's not responsible for listing down the name for the cakes. When we are trying to explain that she should have made it clear since we are expecting it was the list. During the discussion, another male staff brushed us off and asked us to just provide the name of the celebrant with an irritating tone. The bill came before the birthday cake. We paid for more than 15k. We can afford to buy a cake. But my senior mom is requesting to have a cake to be blown that day. This is not the first time we dine in this establishment. But for us to be treated differently and with disrespect is unacceptable. Perhaps your staff should revisit their life choices. The food is not as good as it used to be. The floor is too slippery! Everytime the floor is being swiped, the smell of the bleach is so strong. You can taste it. The bathroom is so dirty and the flush is not working. 1 out of 4 cubicle is out of order and the other one is...